Hannah Montana celebrated the show’s 20th anniversary on March 24. The anniversary special was an hour long interview hosted by Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper with breaks in between for Miley Cyrus, who portrayed Hannah Montana in the original show, to explore the old set and meet with special guests.
The special was nostalgic and fun but not what I expected. Disney advertised the show to be a journey through the old set, starting outside of Warner Bros. and stepping back into Montana’s life. Although the show does explore these themes, they appeared in very limited amounts.
The interview by Cooper was short and didn’t answer any burning questions. At one point, Cooper asks, “How did Taylor Swift end up in the Hannah Montana movie?” In 2009, Swift was at the start of her career, a point where she would be seen in the Hannah Montana movie; her feature made sense. I would rather Cooper have asked Cyrus about a certain episode or something niche that only viewers of the show would understand. From this interview, I didn’t get the sense that Cooper actually watched the show.
The interview, with some questions, did give us insider information into Cyrus’ dating history, like how the Jonas Brothers went on tour with Cyrus because she was dating the youngest brother, Nick Jonas.
The guest stars of the show were interesting picks. The only actors of the original cast in attendance were Cyrus and her real life and show father, Billy Ray Cyrus. Her mom, Tish Cyrus, was also featured for her work as a costume designer. The other two special guests were Disney star Selena Gomez and Singer Chappell Roan. Gomez was a nice sentiment for those who watched Disney Channel growing up and watched the relationships between the “Disney kids” unfold. Roan was a random feature; Roan credits her look to Hannah Montana, telling Cyrus that, “Hannah was her inspiration.” The majority of the original cast was at the premiere, so I was disappointed to turn on the show the next day and not see them featured.
These guest stars visited Hannah Montana’s iconic closet and nostalgic living room, pointing out specific mementos which were featured in the show. Hannah Montana’s robe from the pilot episode and her sequin dress from the Hannah Montana movie were just two picks.
The anniversary special ended with Cyrus reenacting the well-known meme of her leaving her childhood home, looking back through the window and reflecting on all her memories.
Overall, the special was way too short. I could have watched an eight-episode special over just one hour with more interview questions and other special guests. For me, who always wanted to be Hannah Montana, it was nice to fall back into the world but I wish there was more.